Sanity in Doubt for Man Charged with Murdering Grandmother

A man accused of murdering his grandmother and setting her Los Alamitos apartment on fire with two small children inside is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday for a mental competency hearing.

Joseph Elija Ettima, 29, faces charges of murder during the commission of a robbery, arson of an inhabited dwelling using an accelerant, robbery, two counts of child abuse and one felony count of criminal threats.

More than three years after his arrest, authorities are still trying to determine if he is fit to stand trial.

Prosecutors allege Ettima killed his grandmother 69-year-old Emma Louise Hardwick-Street during an argument. They believe he set her apartment on fire after the murder, leaving his own 8-year-old brother and 3-year-old sister in the burning building. The little boy rescued his cousin, and both were placed in protective custody.

According to police, Ettima fled to Mexico and was placed on the U.S Marshal’s Most Wanted List because of his history of violence and weapons-related charges. Los Alamitos police issued a $25,000 reward for his capture, and Mexican authorities handed him over to the United States when he was arrested for an unrelated charge in that country four months after the killing.

At the time of his arrest U.S. Marshal Service Director John F. Clark called his capture a top priority, noting that his latest crime “demonstrates a callous disregard for human life that is unimaginable.”

Ettima could face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted.